Republicans

The Texas Tribune reports: The elections administrator of the state’s most populous county, an important Democratic stronghold, may not send out applications for mail-in ballots to all 2.4 million of the county’s registered voters, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court ruled Wednesday in a rebuke of County Clerk Chris Hollins, whose office has worked to expand voting options beyond what is …

The Associated Press reports: Down in the polls just days before Arizona voters begin casting ballots, Republican Sen. Martha McSally came out swinging against her Democratic challenger in their only face-to-face debate Tuesday, accusing retired astronaut Mark Kelly of obfuscating his true beliefs. McSally unveiled a new nickname for her rival, branding him “counterfeit Kelly,” a phrase she used at …

Bloomberg News reports: Vice President Mike Pence’s team has agreed to allow a plexiglass divider for his side of the stage during Wednesday night’s vice-presidential debate with Kamala Harris, according to two people familiar with the matter. The team asked why a shield was needed if the two candidates would be 12 feet apart, according to the people, who added …

Politico reports: Rep. Salud Carbajal announced Tuesday he tested positive for the coronavirus and said it came after he interacted indoors with Sen. Mike Lee, who revealed he had Covid-19 hours after President Donald Trump said he was diagnosed with the disease. Carbajal, a Central Coast Democrat, said in a statement that he began to experience “mild symptoms” and subsequently …

The New York Times reports: The five U.S. attorneys along the border with Mexico, including three appointed by President Trump, recoiled in May 2018 against an order to prosecute all undocumented immigrants even if it meant separating children from their parents. They told top Justice Department officials they were “deeply concerned” about the children’s welfare. But the attorney general at …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement about stopping stimulus negotiations until after the election sent shockwaves through DC, and even concerned some Republicans. Senator Susan Collins put out a statement saying, “Waiting until after the election to reach an agreement on the next Covid-19 relief package is a huge mistake. I have already been in touch with the Secretary …

The New York Times reports: The Supreme Court on Monday mostly reinstated a South Carolina law that requires absentee ballots to be accompanied by a witness’s signature. Lower courts had blocked the law, saying it interfered with the right to vote during a pandemic. The Supreme Court made an exception for ballots cast before it acted and received by election …

Axios reports: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who recently tested positive for COVID-19, told Wisconsin radio station 630 KHOW that he would go to the Senate “in a moon suit” if that’s what is required to vote in person for the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Senate Democrats have demanded that confirmation hearings be delayed in …

Media Matters reports: Republican Senate candidate Lauren Witzke is continuing her outreach to white nationalists by promoting her campaign in a video interview with the white nationalist site VDare. The Delaware Republican Party has continued backing Witzke despite her appeals to far-right extremists. Witzke is running for the Senate in Delaware against Democratic Sen. Chris Coons. As Media Matters and …

Politico reports: GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania will not run for reelection in 2022, two people familiar with his plans said. The decision by Toomey, a conservative who is currently serving his second term, will spark a competitive battle for his battleground-state seat in two years. Toomey had been contemplating running for another term or running for governor. Toomey’s …

The Austin Statesman reports: Top aides of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton have asked federal law enforcement authorities to investigate allegations of improper influence, abuse of office, bribery and other potential crimes against the state’s top lawyer. In a one-page letter to the state agency’s director of human resources, obtained Saturday by the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV, seven executives in the …

The Independent reports: Chris Christie has checked into hospital as a “precautionary measure”, according to a tweet on his official account on Saturday. The former New Jersey governor, who has asthma, drove himself to hospital in his home state, CNN reported. “In consultation with my doctors, I checked myself into Morristown Medical Center this afternoon. While I am feeling good …

Politico reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Saturday that the full Senate will not return until Oct. 19 — two weeks later than planned — after three GOP senators tested positive for the coronavirus. But McConnell also vowed that the Senate would still move ahead with Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination, with the Senate Judiciary Committee set to …

CNN reports: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped President Donald Trump prepare for the first presidential debate earlier this week, has tested positive for Covid-19, he announced on Twitter Saturday. “I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19,” Christie wrote. “I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask …

Multiple sources are Twitter are reporting that GOP Sen. Ron Johnson has tested positive for COVID and will “remain isolated until given the all-clear by his doctor.” Johnson is the third GOP Senator to test positive in the last 24 hours. Johnson’s news increases the chance that the confirmation vote for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett may not happen …

Fox News reports: North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who is running for re-election, has become the fourth member of the Senate to test positive for COVID-19. Tillis’ news comes just hours after President Trump and the First Lady made the shocking announcement that they had tested positive for the coronavirus. Fellow members of the SenateRand Paul, of Kentucky, Bill …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Civil-rights and voter-advocacy groups have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block an order by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that dramatically reduced the number of drop-off locations for mail ballots. The lawsuit filed late Thursday could be the first of many legal challenges against Mr. Abbott’s order that assigns just one drop-off location in each …

NPR reports: The House overwhelmingly approved a resolution condemning QAnon, the fringe movement that promotes wide-ranging conspiracies about the U.S. government and yet has enjoyed a rising tide inside conservative politics in part because of tacit encouragement from President Trump. The measure passed 371-18, with one GOP member voting present. QAnon is a “collective delusion, said House Rules Chairman Jim …

When it rains, it pours: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said on Friday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the second senator known to do so. Lee, in a statement, said he took a coronavirus test on Thursday after experiencing symptoms similar to those he has had for longtime allergies. “Unlike the test I took just a few …

First, a reminder of her current situation: A poll of likely Georgia voters released Tuesday by Quinnipiac University showed Democrat Raphael Warnock ahead in the special election to complete the term of former Sen. Johnny Isakson, with Warnock pegged at 31%, Sen. Kelly Loeffler at 23%, and Republican Doug Collins at 22%. Democrat Matt Lieberman followed at 9%, with Democrat …